Is it time for you to slow down ??

Imagine you go to the gym
You do some warm up exercises and then, hop on a treadmill
You start walking....
Speed 2
After a few minutes, you gradually increase the speed
3,4..
Now you start walking faster

You are enjoying the brisk pace, so you increase the speed further
5,6,7..
You are now jogging
After sometime, you start getting a bit tired and feel just the hint of a stretch, but somehow, you try to cope up
But then, something happens….
You feel that someone has increased the speed
8,9,10..
You feel that the control is NO more with you
You are now running frantically, sweating and panting
Your heart is pounding. You are running out of air
You want to slow down
You cannot cope up anymore. You are about to fall down
But you DO NOT have the control
You panic
Suddenly, you see the red safety button
And in one desperate move, you press it
The treadmill starts slowing down
9,8...
You start catching your breath
7,6,5....
It continues to slow down further
4,3,2,1…
Finally, it stops
You get off and almost crash on the floor, still panting heavily
Now that is a hypothetical scenario in the gym
But if you take a step back, you will realize that this is exactly what happens in your life
Especially if you have a high-flying corporate career
It is like a treadmill
You started off slow and under control, but then….
..As you climb up the corporate ladder
..As you grow more and more senior
..As you achieve more and more success
The pace keeps on increasing
You are constantly running and chasing
Targets after targets, quarter after quarter, year after year
It does NOT seem to slow down
Sometimes, you are running simply to outrun others, and at other times, you do not know what exactly are you chasing and why
You try frantically to keep up with the pace in the hope that there will be a point in time in future, when things will slow down
Unfortunately, the reverse happens in most cases
That assumed future state when you will have everything under control remains a distant dream
The pace keeps on increasing
And eventually, you reach a stage when you feel that you are no more in control  
You feel that if it continues like this, you might just collapse
Rings a bell ?
If it does, then it is time to rethink how you are going to change your approach
How you can take back the control  
How you can slow down
But before I proceed further, I want to draw a distinction – slowing down v/s stopping
Stopping means taking a break from what you are doing
Slowing down means you continue doing what you are doing, but at a slower pace with a greater sense of control
The chase can still continue….
But what you want to chase and at what pace – that is something you can decide
And yes….
It does not matter who is running at what speed
You decide the speed at which you want to run (  or walk or jog )
More importantly….
Make sure you slow down and pause
To recover, rejuvenate and re-energize
Do not wait to press the safety button

It might be too late

So as you prepare to step into 2022, here is a simple yet powerful reflection for you :
1) How will you intentionally slow down in 2022 ? The key word is intentionally. Think about it
2) Once you plan for the slow down, then take a step back and think about what you want to go after.

What is the ONE thing that you want to chase in 2022, for which you are ready to stretch that extra mile ?
Both are contrasting questions to reflect upon, but can help you create the right awareness and balance between slowing down and increasing the speed
Because sometimes, slowing down can help you speed up in the long run
I would be interested to know what came up for you as you read and reflected on this article
Till then
Stay safe and stay healthy
Harsh